Children's Spine Foundation | Haider Spine Center

In appreciation of the volunteer work of the physicians through the Children’s Spine Foundation, University of California Riverside has placed a statue in front of the Science Library honoring Dr. Haider and the supporters of the Children’s Spine Foundation.

The Children’s Spine Foundation has taken surgical missions to various parts of the country and the world. These trips are funded by donations to the foundation and the lives that are changed because of the volunteer work and surgery are amazing.

Below, Dr. Cramer relays a story about a recent visit to the Dominican Republic and a 13 year old girl facing a condition that would make her a paraplegic.

Dr. Cramer's Story

“Esmirna was born with a diastematomyelia of the thoracic spine. Essentially, diastematomyelia is a rare congenital anomaly that results in ‘splitting’ of the spinal cord, in which the patient has two spinal cords,” Dr Cramer said. “And, in Esmirna’s case, the diastematomyelia was associated with a hemivertebra (congenital half-vertebra) and a significant scoliotic deformity.

During Esmirna’s young childhood years, she had been able to walk and run as normal children do, but her scoliosis continued to progress, interfering with walking as she became an adolescent.” After extensive discussions and surgical planning, a complex surgery was performed in two stages on Esmirna. The first was to separate the spinal cords from each other so the spine could then be “straighten out” for correction of the scoliotic deformity. The risk of waking up paralyzed was high, but Esmirna understood. Dr. Cramer continued, “After approximately 7 hours of intense spine surgery, I was exhausted and yet satisfied with the outcome.

Esmirna awoke in the make-shift recovery room moving her legs better than ever, and she was even a little taller.” (you’ll find the complete story online.) Haider Spine Center provides the region with a true Multidisciplinary Spine Center that includes a full range of services, including: Pain Management, Chiropractic Services, Acupuncture, Biofeedback, Evaluating Work Related Spine Injuries, Scoliosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Physical Conditioning Programs, and much more.